A different upbringing can do oh so much
by Burning Ryoma
Summary: Watch as a Harry raised by Mooney and nice Dursley takes on his first year at Hogwarts. AU


I don't own Harry Potter. That honour goes to JKR.

Harry sighed in relief as he sat down in the empty train compartment. Harry had arrived alone to platform 9 and he his first thought was to ask one of the many station workers for platform nine and three-quarters but he knew he would only appear as a fool if he asked a muggle so he decided to back away and wait for the right time.

That time came fifteen minutes later when he saw a large family of red-hairs walking across platform nine toward the platform ten. Harry quietly followed them and his suspicions was confirmed when they discussed topics that no muggle would know. So he followed them silently and watched as child after child disappeared after walking/running into a ticket box. So Harry waited until every family member had disappeared and followed their path.

He had to admit that it was a bit scary just walking into an object that looked solid but Harry ignored his instincts and just continued walking. He closed his eyes a second before the incoming impact but he opened them again when nothing happened.

Harry spent ten minutes admiring the large train and all the people around the platform. He saw a kid with dreadlocks that entertained many children. He also saw a somewhat clumsy-looking child screaming to his toad that jumped around the platform. He also saw a pair of twins that came from the family that Harry had observed. They were teasing a girl, that looked like their sister, who looked like she would cry.

Harry also saw the blonde kid that he met when bought robes. He was walking around the platform with his nose in the air looking very arrogant and confident. There were also the very large children that flanked the blonde and looked like bodyguards. Harry made a mental note to avoid the blonde, Draco Malfoy if his memory was right, as Harry sensed that he would only be trouble.

Now he was in an empty compartment waiting for the train to leave the platform. Harry was in deep thoughts. He wondered what house would suit him. He had read a few chapters from Hogwarts: A History. He kinda liked Gryffindor, but Harry didn't know if he was brave or loyal enough to be sorted into the house. Then there was Hufflepuff. He knew there were many people that thought it was a house for those who didn't get into the other three houses, but Harry liked hard work and loyalty that the house was known for.

Then there was Slytherin. The book described the house as evil and only the dark children was sorted into Slytherin. But Hogwarts: A History also wrote that Merlin himself and other light wizard and witches was sorted into the house, Harry wasn't sure what he thought about being sorted in Slytherin. And then there was the last house, Ravenclaw. Harry knew he was kinda smart, he could admit that much without sounding that Malfoy brat. But Ravenclaw sounded like a house for those who thought about nothing more that homework and book and Harry that was nothing for him.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened when he saw a cute girl with long blonde hair and quite interesting blue-gray eyes. She stared at Harry for a while as if she could read his mind.

"Harry Potter." She then said. Harry frowned. He didn't remember talking to her and he had also made sure to hide his scar with a glamour spell.

"How do you know I am Harry?" He asked. She smiled cutely at him.

"I have my ways. Do you mind if I sit here?" Harry gestured with his hand and she sat down across Harry. They talked with each other during the long trip to Hogwarts. Harry found out that the girl was very intelligent and had much information on Hogwarts. That lead Harry to believe she was a pure blood.

"Ah, I didn't ask for your name!" Harry said embarrassedly after 30 minutes into the trip. The girl laughed softly before reaching her right hand to Harry.

"Daphne Greengrass." Harry shook her hand before the name Greengrass rang a bell in his head.

"You're part of the family that supported Grindewald during the first war but stayed neutral during the second?" Harry had read about the two disastrous wars in a history book that he had bought in hist first trip to the magical world.

"Busted. Remember that I'm supposed to be 'darkish' neutral so we can't go around and having fun if I'm in Slytherin and you're in Gryffindor." She then told Harry she expected to be sorted into Slytherin as she liked to be sneaky and that she had some ambition with the Slytherin house.

They then fell asleep and had peaceful dreams until they heard a voice telling them that they were only five minutes from Hogsmeade station. They took turns to change into their school robes. Harry stood outside their compartment waiting for Daphne to finish changing when he saw a frog jumping towards him.

Harry remembered that the frog belonged to a boy so he reached out and captured the frog in mid-air. He only had to wait for a minute before a panting boy run to Harry. Harry smiled at him and handed him the frog.

"Thank you. Trevor likes to escape and nobody except you wanted to help me. I'm Neville Longbottom by the way." Harry looked calm on the outside but he was shocked. So this was the son of his godmother. Harry had both read and heard about the tragic fates of Neville's parents so Harry decided to help Neville as much as he could from that day on.

"I'm Harry." Neville noticed that Harry didn't mentioned his surname but he forgot to ask why when a compartment door opened and a girl came out.

"Why don't we three go to an exit and wait for the train to stop?" Harry asked and his two companions agreed.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me – any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud 'Oooooh!'. The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid shouted and the children began to climb into the may boats. Harry, Neville and Daphne climbed into one boat and was soon joined by a boy who introduced himself as Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, "Right then – FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbles.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. "Everyone here?" Hagrid asked. Everyone nodded. The giant looked pleased that nobody had disappeared. He then raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the door,

Harry now stood in the great hall waiting for his turn to be sorted. Daphne had already been sorted into Slytherin (She then secretly winked to Harry making him feel a little better knowing she still wanted to be friends with him) and Neville had been sorted into Gryffindor after a long battle with the hat. The hat was now on a girl named Sally- Anne Perks. Harry figured it was his turn next so he discretely removed the glamour he had on his scar. The scar appeared on his forehead even tough nobody noticed that because they had their attention the little girl in the chair,

"Hufflepuff!" The hat roared and the girl joined her new friends on Hufflepuff table. Professor McGonagall took a breath before she called "Potter, Harry." The whole hall went silent as Harry confidently walked across the room. But the silence was there only for a moment before nearly everyone whispered and pointed at him. He glanced at the Slytherin table and was pleased that Draco Malfoy looked like he had been punched. Harry had a feeling that the boy would have either tried to either attracted Harry to his side or caused trouble if he knew that the boy was He-who-lived.

Harry sat down on the chair and the old Professor lowered the sorting hat.

'Very interesting. Courage, intelligence, hard work and even some Slytherin qualities. What should I do with you, Mr. Potter?'

'Having trouble, Mr Hat?' Harry teased.

'Very funny, Mr. Potter. Very funny. But I guess we should rule out Slytherin. I've a hunch that the house would be destroyed if you joined them. And we can also rule out Ravenclaw. You're intelligent but you don't want to use the intelligence in the same way as a Ravenclaw would do.'

'So Gryffindor or Hufflepuff?'

'Quite right, Mr Potter. I've even more problem with you than I had with Mr Longbottom, you know' The hat amusedly told him.

'Can you take off your bracelet Mr Potter. It would be much easier for me to make the right choice if I had access to your entire mind.'

Harry took glanced at his right hand where he had bracelet that he had received from a man that had called himself Moony years ago. Harry had asked uncle Vernon if he knew who Moony was. Vernon and aunt Petunia had glanced at each other for a while before they told him that they trusted the man. Harry had worn the bracelet every day since then.

'Much better. Well now that I can see more clearly... there is only one house for you after all. Welcome to...'

"Gryffindor!" The entire hall was silent for a second before the Gryffindor table exploded in cheers and applauds. Harry scanned the table for an empty place and saw one beside one of the twins that Harry had seen before entering the train. Harry walked over to them.

"Ah look at that, Fred! Someone actually dares to sit beside us." One of the twins exclaimed.

"And why wouldn't I dare to sit beside you?" Harry challenged as he sat down.

"Because we're the best pranksters in Hogwarts history. I'm George Weasley and this gentleman next to me is Fred Weasley." Harry scoffed at that.

"You may be good but you wouldn't have a chance against my father. He is the legendary Prongs after all." Harry bragged. The twins stared at him for a moment before they said together.

"We're not worthy!" The twins then explained that Prongs and his friends are their biggest idols and that they had a present for him later. Harry wondered what that could be but he had to change his attention when the Headmaster stood up.

Albus Dumbledore had got to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

The tables then was magically filled with many, many dishes and Harry began to eat. Harry began with a steak and mashed potatoes.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you –?''

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower." Harry already knew that Nick was nearly headless so he didn't ask the ghost why they called him Nearly Headless Nick. So he asked Nick about the rest of the ghosts. Nick looked happy as he talked about his friends and enemies.

"- Then there is the bloody Baron. He is the resident ghost of Slytherin. I hope Gryffindor wins the House Championship this year. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable." Harry looked over to the Slytherin table and was very happy to see that the Baron sat beside Draco who looked very sick. Harry also saw Daphne speaking with a girl, Tracey Davis, and a black boy, Blaise Zabini, who had been sorted last.

He looked up to the teacher table lastly. Harry recognized many of the professors from Hogwarts: A History but he didn't know anything about a teacher that had a large turban and seemed to stutter a lot as he spoke with his fellow Professors. But he turned to Harry for a moment and Harry's scar exploded in pain. Harry gasped in with made the twin look at him with worry. Harry said he was okay but asked who the Professor was.

"That is Professor Quirrell. He was the Professor of Muggle studies two years ago before he decided to take a year off. He then returned this year and we heard he is the new Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. He has always been nervous be he looks to be even more scared since he returned from Romania." Fred explained.

Harry wondered why felt such a pain when the Professor looked at him but decided to think about that another day as he focused on his dinner again.

"So, my dear boy, you know how to prank?" Fred asked while he dug into a chicken breast.

"Well, everyone from my family is muggle so I've only used non-magical pranks. But my cousin and I usually have a few prank wars every year." George grinned at that.

"Then you should join me and my dear brother when we have our prank times. It would be our pleasure to train Prong's son to be a master prankster."

At last, the puddings too disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The Hall fell silent.

"Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well" Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins and the twins tried their best, but failed spectacularly, to look innocent.

"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. And finally, quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

Dumbledore paused for a moment to let it all sink into the heads of the first years before he continued.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.

Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music,'"he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Fred and Georges' brother, Percy, stood up quickly. He tried to look important, even tough it only made him look silly, as he yelled to the first years that they should follow him. They made it to the Gryffindor common room without any trouble, except for a quick meeting with Peeves the poltergeist.

Harry suddenly realized how tired he was so he walked up the staircase and found his room. Harry fell onto his bed and was sleeping soundly less than a second later.

And that was Harry's first of many, many days in Hogwarts.

A/n: So I've began a new story...once again. It's been a few years since I have even thought about writing a fanfic.

This is an AU story as you may already guessed. Good Dursley, more intelligent Harry, different friends etc. etc.

You may wonder why Harry knew so much of Hogwarts and the magic world and the answer is quite simple. Books and a visiting Moony. Harry don't know everything, of course, but much more than in the books.

And finally... I'm from Sweden and English is my secondary language. There will be many faults with my grammar and spelling so I'm looking for a beta reader that will help to make this a very good experience for the readers. So if you want to be my beta reader... Just PM me or leave a review.


End file.
